Around Mother Africa Long Walk Original Manuscript (Image #444)

suggested that I should live in a house next door to him where security measures would be far more easier to arrange and pointed out that he had offered Oliver the same place on his way to Ghana in 1960. I thanked him for his offer and interest but preferred to leave all arrangements for my safety to my hosts of the BPP, assuring him at the same time that they would bear in mind all the problems he had raised. Later I discussed the matter with Porfessor Motsete, Fish and Joe Matlou, one of our members who was now living in Lobatsi and Sam Chand (check name and initials) and they took the necessary precautions. Kirby however put one condition, namely, that I should not leave Lobatsi and visit other areas without notifying him. This may have been a double edged measure to ensure my own safety from South African agents as well as to keep track of my activities in the country. This made me change my plans of visiting Seretse because I was no longer so certain whether he would not be embarrassed by my paying him a visit under police surveillance. Lobatsi township had a small bookstore and I bought a number of works which were not available in South Africa and which kept me occupied. I also used the opportunity for the purpose of preparing our address at the Addis Ababa conference and in spite of the warning of Kirby I roved around Lobatsi. One Sunday shortly after breakfast and accompanied by Marks Mlomyeni, another South African refugee, we climbed the steep and rocky hill above Lobatsi township, crossed the railway lines to Mafeking and as we climbed the hill to cross the motor road to Kanye we met a troop of wild baboons and their social organisation and skill in keeping us at arms length as we followed them fascinated me. We roamed the deep gorges west of the town, surprising buck and other small game. We returned late in the afternoon tired and hungry. I repeated this a couple of